Pouring device for bulk containers



NVENTOR.

f waa/wz July 14, 1959 D. slMKlNs POURING DEVICE FOR BULK CONTAINERS Filed D60. 6, 1957 nited States Patent A PURING DEVICE FOR BULK CONTAINERS Daniel Simkins, Mount Vernon, Ohio, assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 6, 1957, Serial No. 701,024

10 Claims. (Cl. 222-176) This invention relates to containers for handling relatively large quantities of granular or like owable material and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a pouring attachment for incorporation in such containers.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a pouring attachment adapted to be incorporated in the bottom of a bulk container of the type which is mounted on spaced skids or runners for facilitating the handling or transporting of the same by fork lift trucks and the like.

It is a more speciic object of the invention to provide in a bulk container having a tray-like bottom which is mounted on spaced skids or runners a pouring device characterized by a length of liexible tubing and a container therefor which is arranged in the space provided by cutting out a section of one of the runners with the top of the tube and the top of the container opening into the bottom of the bulk container through an aperture provided in the bottom tray thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pouring device for a bulk container which is characterized by spaced runners on the bottom wall thereof, wherein the pouring device is adapted to be built into the bottom of the container and to extend into the space provided by cutting out a section of one of the runners and wherein the pouring device comprises a collapsible pouring tube and a housing therefor in the form of a carton of relatively rigid material having a tubular body and closure aps at the top and bottom ends thereof with the top closure aps extending through an aperture provided in the bottom Wall of the container and secured in outwardly extending relation to the inside surface of the bottom wall, the pouring tube being in the form of a length of flexible tubing which is open at both ends and which has the margins of its inner end folded around and secured to the open inner aps of the carton so that it may be extended to provide an outlet for passage of material from the bulk container when the flaps at the outer end of the carton are opened.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the device which is shown by Way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bottom portion of a bulk container having incorporated therein the principal features of the invention, with the pouring device in the initial closed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of the bulk container illustrated in Figure 1 with the pouring device in open position for discharge of material from the bulk container;

Figure 3 is a partial cross section, taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, to an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section similar to Figure 3 with the pouring device in initial closed position;

and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the carton in which 2,894,661 Patented July 14, 1959 the pouring sleeve is housed, with the top flaps in opened up position and the pouring sleeve removed therefrom.

In handling large quantities of material-s in powder or granular form relatively large corrugated board cartons are frequently employed which are provided on their bottom surfaces with laterally spaced skids or runners forming a bottom reinforcement and support for the containers and permitting the same to be readily handled by trucks and like transporters which are equipped with fork type lifts. Such containers, when filled, are frequently too heavy to be lifted manually, particularly when the material is to be transferred from the bulk container to the hopper of a machine or to a supply ibin for storage or other processing purposes. Also, because of the weight and size of the bulk container in its lled condition, dumping by inverting the same, which is the usual procedure, requires special equipment, or if done manually, requires considerable care in order to avoid waste of material by spilling and damage to the container which would render it uniit for reuse. Consequently, considerable savings in labor can be achieved by providing containers which can be handled mechanically and emptied of all or the greater part of the contents without any manual dumping and the device of the present invention is designed to be incorporated in such a container so as to adapt it to handling by mechanically operated equipment.

Referring to the drawings, only the lbottom portion of the bulk container 10 is illustrated since it may be of varying depth and with or without a top closure. As shown, the container 10 comprises a body portion 11 of rectangular cross section and a tray-like bottom member 12, the latter having upstanding marginal flange portions 13 which are interfolded with and secured to the bottom marginal portions 14 of the side walls of the body portion 11. The container 1@ is provided on the exterior surface of the tray-like bottom member 12 with a plurality of laterally spaced elongate skids or runners 15, 16 and 17 of rectangular cross section which may be formed of wood or `folded sheet material of the same character as the container. The runners 15, 16 and 17 are secured on the exterior bottom surface in parallel relation and provide spaces 13 and 19 for receiving the fork of a lift truck or the like (not shown) when the container is to be lifted and moved about. The intermediate or center runner 16 is cut away near the center thereof to provide a recess 2i) and the bottom mem'ber 12 of the container is also cut away to provide an aperture 21 aligned with the recess 20 for receiving a pouring device 22 which is arranged to t into the space provided by the recess 20 and the aperture 21.

The pouring device 22 comprises a rectangular carton 23 and a pouring sleeve 24. The carton 23, which forms a housing for the pouring sleeve 24, may be formed of paperboard, corrugated board, or any like material and comprises a tubular body 25 of rectangular cross section which is provided with a series of closure flaps 26 on the upper or inner end and corresponding closure flaps 27 on the bottom or outer end. The pouring sleeve 24, which is adapted to be housed in collapsed condition in the carton 23 when not in use for the pouring operation, comprises a tubular section of plastic film material, such as Polyethylene, Pliolm, or any other suitable flexible sheet material, the exact nature of which may depend upon the characteristics of .the material to be handled in the bulk container. The pouring sleeve 24 has its inner end or marginal portion 2? reversely folded around the inner closure flaps 26 of the carton 23 and the flaps 26, with the sleeve portions thus folded around the same, are secured to the inner surface of the lbottom wall around the aperture 21 in the bottom tray member 12. The body 25 of the carton 23 extends in depending relation through the aperture 2i and into the space provided by the cut away section 20 of the runner i6. The body portion 25 of the carton 23 is preferably of the same depth o`r slightly less depth than the runner i6 and when the bottom flaps 27 are closed the bottom surface thereof is us'h or approximately Hush with the bottom surface 29 of the runner 16 so that the carton 23 is protected against crushing, since the weight of the container it) is carried by the runner 16 and also against damage when the container is moved on its supporting surface. The pouring sleeve 24 is adapted to be folded or collapsed in any manner Within the body of the carton 23 and the bottom flaps 27 of the latter are adapted to tbe closed and held in closed position by a strip of tape 3G or the like when the device 22 is initially incorporated in the bulk container llt).

The pouring Sleeve 24 may bc provided with a tie 3 (Figure 4) in order to prevent immediate discharge material when the carton ilaps 27 are opened and the sleeve 24 is allowed to drop in extended relation through the carton. When the carton 23 is opened up and the pouring sleeve 24 is extended, it, of course, provides a flexible passageway for discharge of material from the body of the bulk container.

The pouring device 22 is initially incorporated in the bottom of the bulk container it? as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 so that when it is desired to empty the container il() is may be positioned in upright relation over the bin or other receptacle into which the contents is to be discharged and the tape 39 removed from the flaps 27 allowing the latter to open out and the pouring sleeve 24 to drop into downwardly extended or suspended relation. The cord or tie 31 may then be removed from the sleeve 24 and the material in the container will discharge through the sleeve 24%. When the bull: of the material is discharged from the container ttl, the latter may be vibrated or tilted to discharge the remaining material in the bottom through the sleeve 24 or the entire bulli container may be readily lifted and inverted to discharge the balance of the material through the top end thereof. When the container l is emptied the tie 3G is replaced on the sleeve 24, the sleeve 24 is folded up into the carton 23, the bottom flaps 27 are closed and a strip of sealing taps '30 is applied, which places the container iu condition for refilling and reuse.

In the form of the container illustrated the pouring device 22 is located in a recess provided by cutting out a section in the middle runner or skid i6. he device may, of course, be located an any point in the bottom of the container llt) and in a recess provided in any one of the runners.

While specific materials and particular details of construction have been referred to in describing the illustrated form of the device, it will be understood that other materials and different details of construction may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a bulk container having an opening in the bottom thereof and supporting skids arranged in spaced relation on said bottom with one of said skids having a portion cut away which is aligned with the opening in the bottom of the container, a pouring device comprising a flexible tube and a tube-like carton forming a housing therefor, said carton having closure tlaps in the top and bottom ends and having slightly smaller cross sectional dimensions than the corresponding dimensions of the opening in the bottom of the container. said carton being secured in the space provided by the cut away portion of said skid and having its upper end secured in open relation in the opening in the bottom of the container and said pouring sleeve being secured with its upper end in open relation in said carton and being adapted to extend when opened out through the bottom end oi said carton.

2. In a bulk container formed of corrugated board material and having an apertured tray-like @bottom and elongate supporting skids arranged in transversely spaced relation thereon, a pouring device comprising a pouring tube of flexible plastic lm material and a tube-like paperboard carton forming a housing therefor which is provided with a bottom end closure, said carton having a depth which does not exceed the `depth of the supporting skids and having its upper end secured to the container in open and aligned relation with the aperture insaid bottom, said pouring tube being secured in the carton so that its upper end opens into the bulk container and being adapted to be extended in depending relation therefrom.

3. In a bulk container which is in the form of a librous carton having an apertured tray-like bottom and supporting skids arranged in spaced relation thereon, one of said skids having a recess in alignment with the aperture in the container bottom, a pouring device comprising a section of exiible tubing of plastic nlm material and a housing therefor which is in the form of a brous carton provided with closure flaps at one end, said housing being mounted in the recess in said skid with an opening in the other end thereof aligned with the aperture in the bottom of the bulk container, said tubing lhaving one end secured in the aperture in the container and being oldable into said housing when not in use and said tubing being adapted to extend through said housing and the recess in the skid when unfolded for use.

4. A container for handling flowable material, said container having a tray-'like apertured bottom wall and supporting runners depending in spaced relation from said bottom wall, one of said runners yhaving a recess aligned with the aperture in said container `bottom wall, and a pouring device comprising an 'open ended receptacle secured in said recess with an upper end extending into the aperture in said container Abottom and with the bottom end substantially flush with the bottom of said runner adjoining said recess, and an open ended collapsible pouring tube having one end secured in the aperture in said container bottom, said pouring tube being adapted to be extended through said receptable to provide a discharge passageway for ow of material from 'the container and to be collapsed into said receptacle when not in use.

5. A container as recited in claim 4, and said receptacle having closure ilaps on the bottom end thereof.

6. A bulk receptacle o-f brous lmaterial having an apertured bottom wall, a plurality of elongate runners of substantial depth secured in transversely spaced relation on said bottom wall, a pouring device comprising a flexible open ended pouring tube having one end secured to said receptacle bottom wall so that the tube is in passageway forming relation with the aperture therein, and a container for housing said pouring'tube, said container being secured to said bottom Wall-at the aperture therein and said pouring tube being adapted to be -collapsed and folded into said container, said container'extending to a depth which does not exceed substantially the depth of said runners and having an opening below said bottom wall.

7. In a bulk container having an opening in the bottom thereof and elongate supporting runners in spaced relation on said bottom, with one of said runners being cut away to expose said opening, fa pouring device comprising a tubular carton having foldable aps at opposite ends, said carton being positioned'v'vith the body thereof in the space provided by cutting away the runner and with one end extending through the opening in the container bottom, and an open'ende'd pouring'sleeve offlexible material adapted to be housed in said carton, said pouring sleeve having marginalporti'ons' of one end folded over the flaps at the end-'ofthefcarton which extends into the container and'saidapsbein'g ls'ecure'dtothe 4inside wall of the bottom of itheco'tair'ier :around the opening therein.

8. In abulk containeri-havingfn op'ening'in VAthe-bottom thereof and elongate supporting runners in spaced relation on said bottom with one of said runners being cut away to expose said opening, a pouring device comprising a tubular carton having foldable flaps at opposite ends, said carton being located in the space provided by cutting away the runner with the ilaps at one end extending through the opening in the container bottom, a tubular pouring sleeve of flexible material adapted to be housed in collapsed relation in said carton, said pouring sleeve having the marginal portions of one end thereof secured to the carton flaps which extend into the container and means securing said aps inside the bottom of the container.

9. In a bulk container having an aperture in the bottom thereof and elongate supporting runners in spaced relation on said bottom with one of said runners having a recess aligned with the aperture in the bottom of the container, a pouring device comprising a tubular carton having foldable iiaps at opposite ends, said carton being secured in the recess provided in the runner and having the aps at one end extending through said container bottom aperture, and a tubular section of flexible material which is open at both ends and which is adapted to be housed in said carton, said tubular section having the marginal portions at one end reversely folded over the tlaps at the end of the carton which extend into the container and secured on the inside of the bottom of the container, the aps at the other end of said carton being adapted to overlap and form a bottom closure for said carton.

10. In a bulk container having an opening in the bottom thereof and elongate supporting runners in spaced relation on said bottom, one of said runners being cut away to expose said opening, a pouring device comprising a tubular carton and an open ended pouring sleeve of exible material secured in said carton, said carton having foldable flaps at opposite ends and being secured in the space provided by cutting away said runner with one end extending through the opening in the container bottom, said pouring sleeve having marginal portions at one end reversely folded over the aps at the end of the carton which extends into the container and said flaps being secured to the inside Wall of the container, said pouring sleeve being housed in said carton when collapsed and said carton being of a depth relative to the depth of the cut-away runner so that the aps at the other end of the carton are adapted to overlap to form a bottom closure therefor which is substantially iiush with the bottom ofthe cut-away runner.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

